China’s Zoomlion is looking to gain a foothold in Mozambique’s agricultural machinery market, bringing six machines to the country as Chinese companies search for new business opportunities.

The Hunan-based manufacturer is using the 61st Maputo International Trade Fair, or FACIM, to showcase equipment aimed largely at agriculture and meet potential local partners.

The move comes as Mozambique continues to grapple with low agricultural productivity and limited access to mechanization. Agriculture remains central to the economy, accounting for about a quarter of GDP and employing more than 70% of the population, according to World Bank data.

For Zoomlion, the opportunity is not simply to sell tractors and other equipment. The company wants to build local partnerships and make machinery affordable to small producers, farming communities and large commercial farms.

Zoomlion looks beyond equipment sales

“We are one of the official representatives of Zoomlion in Mozambique, mainly for agricultural machinery,” Jacinto Almeida, the company’s Mozambican representative says at the exhibition.

Almeida said the company wants to bring agricultural technology to Mozambique at competitive prices, with equipment that can be used by farmers of different sizes. He said the plan includes working with local farmers and providing a wider package of agricultural solutions.

“We are here representing Zoomlion, but with the final intention of bringing the business to Mozambique and bringing technology to agriculture in Mozambique,” Almeida said.

Mozambique’s mechanization challenge

The push comes against a backdrop of low farm productivity. The World Bank has identified limited access to agricultural inputs, markets, extension services and mechanization among the challenges facing Mozambique’s farmers.

That creates an opening for machinery suppliers as farmers and commercial agricultural businesses look for ways to improve production. Zoomlion’s focus on pricing could also be important in a market where many producers operate on a small scale.

Chinese companies expand their reach

Zoomlion is part of a Hunan business delegation attending FACIM for the first time. About 13 companies from the central Chinese province are participating, covering agriculture, medicine and construction.

Amy Zheng, representing the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hunan Sub-council, said the companies are interested in exploring Mozambique and strengthening economic and trade ties between the two countries.

Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co. Ltd. is a Chinese manufacturer of construction and agricultural machinery headquartered in Hunan. Its equipment business spans sectors including farming and construction, giving it a broad base from which to pursue new markets.

The Mozambique push gives the company a chance to turn its presence at one of the country’s largest trade fairs into local partnerships and equipment sales, while giving Chinese manufacturers another route into Mozambique’s agriculture economy.